The RSPCA has launched a campaign to try and help stamp out puppy trafficking. As part of the campaign, the charity has released the results of a survey of vets (June 2008) which shows that: 23% of you reported an increase in puppies being presented at your practice that may have been bred on a puppy farm (compared to three years ago). 73% of vets are 'fairly' or 'very' concerned about the trade in puppies. 33% of you have seen an increase in puppies presented with canine parvovirus (compared to three years ago), 34% with endoparasites (e.g. worms), 31% for ectoparasites (e.g. mites) and 35% with campylobacter. 54% of you say that you believe there is a higher incidence of parvovirus in puppies from puppy farms, 66% for endoparasites and 65% for ectoparasites and 44% for campylobacter. 36% of you report that there has been an increase in puppies presented at your practices in the last three years that have not been vaccinated at the appropriate age for their primary course. A separate survey found that nearly a third of 16-24 year olds are contemplating buying a puppy, and that half would consider buying from a pet shop. The RSPCA said it believes it's high time that people planning on buying a puppy know the risks they face if they don't do their research and get one from either a rescue centre or a responsible breeder.
Boehringer Ingelheim has released details of research presented at the 29th World Veterinary Congress which shows dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) due to myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) live longer when treated with pimobendan (Vetmedin®) compared with a commonly used ACE inhibitor.
The results of the QUEST trial, the largest international study of its kind to be conducted amongst dogs with congestive heart failure, are due to be published in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine (JVIM) later this year.
The condition myxomatous mitral valve disease (MMVD) accounts for approximately 75% of all cases of CHF in dogs2. MMVD is associated with the thickening of the cusps of the mitral valve (one of the main one-way valves within the heart), affecting the flow of blood from the heart to the rest of the body. Although there is no cure for CHF due to MMVD, there are treatments available to manage the condition, improving the quality and length of the dog's life.
Professor Jens Häggström, lead investigator of the QUEST trial from the University of Uppsala, Sweden, commented that "the QUEST trial is a significant milestone in our efforts to reassure both, veterinarians and dog owners, that there is compelling evidence to show that pimobendan is an effective treatment for CHF that prolongs their dog's life and providing pet and owner with more quality time together."
The QUEST trial was a randomised, positive-controlled, multi-centre trial conducted at 28 sites across 11 countries, and is the largest study of its kind ever conducted in veterinary cardiology. The study compared a pimobendan group with a group treated with benazepril hydrochloride on top of background diuretic therapy. The trial spanned three years and followed dogs to death, euthanasia or treatment failure leading to withdrawal from the trial.
Research by Boehringer has also shown that over 50% of dog owners in the UK are unaware that their dog may be at risk of heart failure. Heart disease affects one in four dogs over seven years of age, and the lack of knowledge about this serious, life-threatening condition suggests that there is a need for better education amongst dog owners on how to recognise the disease, and how to maintain their dogs' heart health.
Vets Now Limited, the out-of-hours emergency care provider, has been announced as a finalist in the Scottish region of the Bank of Scotland Corporate £35 Million Entrepreneur Challenge. The company will now compete with four other businesses to secure a funding package of up to £5 million, free of interest and charges for three years.
Managing Director, Richard Dixon, must now present his business case to a judging panel featuring two well known and incredibly successful entrepreneurs. Willie Haughey from City Refrigeration and John Anderson from The Entrepreneurial Exchange will be joined on the panel by senior representatives from Bank of Scotland Corporate and Deloitte. The panel will be grilling all five finalists on their future business plans, as well as looking for someone with an entrepreneurial flair, spirit and vision that sets them apart from the rest and makes them an outstanding choice to receive the once in a lifetime funding package that could change the face of the business.
The judging process will take place on Thursday 2 October and will be followed that evening by a dinner and award ceremony at Stirling Castle, where the winner will be announced.
For more information visit http://www.theboschallenge.co.uk/
The Webinar Vet has released the results of a survey which shows that its members are far exceeding their 35 hour CPD target.
Launched just over two years ago, The Webinar Vet was the first company in the UK to specialise in web-based CPD for vets and now has nearly 1000 members from around the globe.
The Webinar Vet founder Anthony Chadwick MRCVS said: "Our members average over 60 hours of online CPD per year. Indeed several members are exceeding 100 hours a year including workshops, and some have even recorded over 200 hours of total CPD!
"There will always be a need for workshop CPD, but most vets and VNs can get the majority of the updates and information they need online. However we believe that in many cases it's not a simple swap - the convenience of online CPD means that many vets and VNs are earning more total hours, which can only be a good thing for the profession.
"Many vets and VNs are juggling busy family lives with work in practice, and the convenience of viewing and participating in webinars from your own home or in a practice lunch break is both cost and time saving, not to mention the reduction in carbon footprint."
Grahame Gardner is offering a 25% discount across many of its scrubwear ranges till the end of February 2013, including the Urbane Scrubs collection, the unisex Easiephit range and the Scrubzone brand.
For further information, visit www.grahamegardner.co.uk or call 0116 255 6326.
The Veterinary Benevolent Fund has launched an electronic version of the Pocket Book of Tips for Practising Vets which will be given away free to all final year veterinary students in the UK.
At the launch party at the Royal Veterinary College's Hawkshead campus, the two authors spoke to final year students about making a success of their first year in practice and passed on tips gleaned from the collective experiences of veterinary surgeons from all over the UK. The audience then joined the authors at a party afterwards and took the opportunity to ask them more questions about what it will really be like when they start their first job in the profession.
Alan Jeans, one of the authors, said: "We are grateful to the VDS for funding the event and to Elanco for funding the publication of the book. Over the many years I and my colleagues have mentored new graduates, we have seen which attitudes and approaches seem to result in the most success in the early years of a veterinary career. We would like to pass this experience on to those joining the profession. Many final year students will currently be stressed about their exams and may be anxious about their first job so we wanted to reassure them that, although there will inevitably be highs and lows during their career, there is support available should they ever need it."
The collection of tips in the book was accumulated from practising vets all over the UK and is relevant to all areas of practice, small and farm animal, equine as well as some general practical suggestions. The book has raised over £7,000 for VBF - the charity that supports veterinary professionals.
All final year students can get a free pdf of the book by emailing a request to info@vetlife.org.uk and copies of the paperback can still be ordered on-line in return for a donation of £10 at www.vetlife.org.uk/vet-tips
The International Federation on Ageing has published Companion Animals and the Health of Older Persons, a report described as the most extensive literature review to date of research undertaken in the field of companion animals and the health of older people, made possible through an educational sponsorship from Bayer Healthcare.
The report provides a comprehensive literature review into the ways pets contribute to the physical and mental health of individuals and the well-being of our broader society, citing studies which found:
Dr Jane Barratt from the International Federation on Ageing said: "This field of research has important implications across generations and also for the future of our broader society. Many studies have broadly discussed how pets, such as dogs and cats, contribute to health by reducing anxiety, loneliness and depression, but until today, have not yet been published in a single resource. This new report advances our understanding of the value of companion animals in the framework of human health and the broader society."
In the report, investigators acknowledge that the current data on human-companion animal interactions are often predicated on anecdotal evidence and scant qualitative and quantitative data, with poorly-constructed and poorly-controlled study design. This may account in part for the conflicting results found in a number of different studies. Nonetheless, they argue that based on current evidence of considerable positive potential for the health of older individuals, and the associated health and welfare benefits for local communities and societies, more research time and energy should be directed towards this area of research. In particular, they say, there should be much greater involvement from veterinary surgeons, who are well placed to be consulted in studies of companion animals and older people’s attachment, affection and bonding capacities, well-being and social capital.
Ferenc Polz, Head of Bayer Animal Health said: "The therapeutic benefit of companion animals is an area of study attracting increasing interest among health and social science professionals and this sponsored report is yet another example of the life changing potential of human and animal relationships."
The new reader is compatible with all ISO 15-digit (FDX-B) identification microchips. It features an integrated LCD screen that displays microchip numbers in a large, easy-to-read format and it also reports the temperature of temperature-sensing microchips.
Sureflap says the reader is lightweight, ergonomically designed, fits easily into the hand and is easy to operate. The company also says that its small size makes it less intimidating for pets.
Dr Nick Hill, managing director of SureFlap said: "The SureSense Microchip Reader was developed following feedback from veterinary and shelter staff that they often had to share microchip readers.
"The reader is our first professional product, developed exclusively for veterinary professionals, shelters, breeders and pet care professionals. Its affordability and size will ensure that it is possible to have multiple readers in each veterinary practice and shelter."
For further information, contact your wholesaler or the SureFlap team on 0800 9127 114 or via email vet@sureflap.com.
The NASAN is an audit for practices to share their data anonymously, to establish UK benchmarks in post-operative complications rates for small animal neutering.
Each year, RCVS Knowledge releases the national routine neutering benchmark to enable veterinary teams to compare their figures against the national average and use this data as part of a benchmarking exercise towards continuous improvements for neutering outcomes.
In 2020, 72% of neuters were complication-free, 13% lost to follow, and 15% of animals suffered an abnormality related to the operation, mostly requiring medical treatment.
Chris Gush, Executive Director of RCVS Knowledge, said, “Data submitted to the NASAN last year, and so far this year, has been lower than expected – likely due to the strain put on the professions by the pandemic.
"We believe many practices have neutering data that they have not been able to submit yet. We would be grateful for any unsubmitted neutering data for 2020 and 2021 to be sent to the NASAN, when practices are able, so that it can contribute to the national picture and allow us to gain the most accurate representation of the benchmarks for neutering in the UK.”
RCVS Knowledge is asking that practices submit their data for 2020 and 2021 by the 15th of October.
Anonymised data may already be available via the practice’s PMS and can be added to RCVS Knowledge’s spreadsheet. Practices can use the results to carry out their own audits and produce internal benchmarks, guidelines and checklists to help monitor their progress and help reduce complication rates by using RCVS Knowledge’s free Quality Improvement resources. The yearly benchmarks are reported in November each year.
You can submit your data from 2020 and 2021 on the vetAUDIT website: https://vetaudit.rcvsk.org/nasan
RCVS Knowledge has created a ‘How to guide’ for using the NASAN, which can be watched on YouTube: https://youtu.be/otoyYK3heCQ
Krka says Arocenia provides fast, broad-spectrum anti-emetic efficacy with a 24-hour duration of action following a single daily dose.
It can be administered intravenously or subcutaneously and is supplied in 20 ml multi-dose vials, allowing up to 40 punctures per vial and a 60-day open vial shelf life.
Renzo Di Florio, Krka’s Technical Veterinary Adviser, commented “Vomiting is one of the most common presenting signs in small animal practice, and maropitant is a medication you’ll find on just about every vet’s dispensary shelf. With Arocenia, we’re adding a cost-effective formulation to the available options.”
https://www.krka.co.uk//products/our-products/animal-health/arocenia-10mgml-solution-for-injection
Dechra Veterinary Products is offering vets free Identichips® worth £100 when they order Equipalazone® Powder 100s. The European Union (EU) has now approved regulations that any equine foal born after July 1 2009 should be micro-chipped, and Defra is currently consulting with equine industry professionals about the best method of implementation. The combination of a micro-chip and horse passport provides a reliable method of identification and also a medical record. Larry King, Dechra's equine product manager said: "We want to make it easier for vets to offer clients the best method of identification and in turn, make it difficult for horses treated with veterinary medicines to enter the human food chain. "We are pleased to support the micro-chipping initiative and the Equine Passport Scheme with our Identichips offer and an owner leaflet about passports to promote responsible horse ownership. They will both help prevent important products like Equipalazone from inadvertently entering the food chain. He added: "We stand to lose up to 70 per cent of veterinary medicines if the industry and horse owners don't comply with EU legislation of horse passports and micro-chipping for every equine". The owner leaflet outlines the importance and benefits of the Equine Passport Scheme and is being inserted into every box of Equipalazone Powder 100s. Further copies are available from Dechra Veterinary Products for practices to distribute to their clients. Practices can claim their free Identichips by ordering boxes of Equipalazone Powder 100s from Rachel Horton at Dechra Veterinary Products on 01743 452 847 before August 31 2008.
As part of its ongoing "Excellence in veterinary anaesthesia" initiative, and following the launch of Alfaxan, Vetoquinol has published a summary of the latest expert recommendations concerning anaesthesia in cats and dogs in a new document: Premedication and anaesthesia in dogs and cats.
The publication covers the pre-medication and pre-anaesthetic period, the induction and maintenance of anaesthesia and the recovery period as well as useful A-Z list of specific case pre-medication and anaesthesia management recommendations (brachycephalic animals, caesarean operation, paediatric cases, renal disease, to name just a few).
The recommendations contained in the document were drawn up following a meeting in February at which a panel of experts discussed all aspects of anaesthesia for dogs and cats, focussing particularly on pre-medication.
The panel was comprised of: Dr Jo Murrell of Bristol University; John Hird of the Hird Consultancy; Dr Mark Senior of University of Liverpool; Dr Polly Taylor, Independent anaesthesia consultant; Elizabeth Leece of the Animal Health Trust; Dr Jackie Brearley of Cambridge Vet School; Daniel Holden , Independent anaesthesia consultant, Prof. Eddie Clutton of Edinburgh University and Elizabeth Chan of the Royal Veterinary College.
"We were delighted to have gathered such an authoritative panel of veterinary anaesthesia experts," said Zorica Agbaba of Vetoquinol, who hosted the meeting. "I am sure that the recommendation document will prove invaluable to vets in general practice."
The document is available from Vetoquinol UK and Ireland, please contact your local Vetoquinol representative or alternatively call Vetoquinol's main office on 01280 814 500 (UK) or 1800 406 117 (ROI free phone number).
The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has launched an online version of the Codes of Practice on equine diseases, ready for the 2011 Thoroughbred breeding season.
The website, codes.hblb.org.uk is a replica of the 2011 booklet, but with an easy to use navigator and built-in text search.
The 2011 online Codes of Practice set out minimum recommendations for the prevention and control of disease. Applying to all breeds of horse and pony, and to both natural mating and AI, the Codes cover:
The increasing mobility of horses creates a subsequent increased risk of spreading infectious disease. In recent years, most countries with active horse populations have seen incidents of these diseases, including in Britain the notifiable diseases of CEM, EIA and EVA.
Any of these diseases can have serious consequences for horse and pony breeding, compromising welfare, disrupting breeding activity and causing economic loss and distress.
Professor Willie Donachie, Chairman of the HBLB's Veterinary Advisory Committee said: "We recognise the changing ways in which vets, studs and individual breeder's access information. The new online version of the Codes is designed to reflect this and ensure that the Codes of Practice, a vital resource, are available where and when they are needed."
The WSAVA's Global Nutrition Committee (GNC) has launched a Nutrition Toolkit for veterinary professionals.
The non-branded toolkit contains the following materials:
The toolkit is available for download at http://wsava.org/nutrition-toolkit.
Based on its importance to overall health, the WSAVA is campaigning to have a nutritional assessment confirmed as the fifth vital assessment in a standard physical examination and for the veterinary healthcare team to provide nutritional recommendations for each animal as an integral component of patient care.
The launch of the Nutrition Toolkit follows on from the Global Nutrition Committee's first initiative, the creation of a set of Nutrition Guidelines in 2011. These were aimed at helping veterinary professionals and pet owners ensure that pets are fed according to an optimal and individually tailored nutrition plan. According to WSAVA, they have been successful, securing endorsements from 19 veterinary organizations in 16 countries. They have been translated into ten languages and are available for download at http://www.wsava.org/guidelines/global-nutrition-guidelines.
GNC Co-Chair Dr Marge Chandler said: "Research shows that more than 90% of pet owners would like nutritional advice but fewer than 15% feel they receive it. In some parts of the world, pet malnutrition remains a major challenge, while in many other countries, pet obesity is an increasing problem. In addition, there is confusion about optimal nutrition because there is now so much conflicting and inaccurate information available online.
Our Nutrition Toolkit is designed to help the veterinary healthcare team address nutrition at every patient visit and to advance the central role of the veterinary healthcare team as the expert source of nutrition information."
Martin Hosegood MRCVS has been selected to run for (your) Vetlife in the Virgin London Marathon.
Martin said: "Through my role at VDS where I assist those on the receiving end of an allegation of professional negligence or professional misconduct, I have seen the fantastic work that Vetlife does to assist anyone in the veterinary community who is having a difficult time. I’ve run the marathon before for other charities but there will be something special about running it to help support my own profession. I feel privileged to have been chosen."
Martin (aka Obed) is a Bristol graduate who worked mainly in large animal practice for 25 years before becoming a VDS claims consultant in 2010. He has also been advising a large safari park on the health, conservation and management of a wide range of zoo species for many years and still continues this role now, albeit in a reduced capacity.
Martin will be running on April 26th with 38,000 other runners – almost five times the number that ran the first race in 1981. Other competitors will include Tim Peake, who will be running the race aboard the International Space Station, Dame Kelly Holmes MBE, James Cracknell and Rosie Allister, Chair of Vetlife Helpline.
Rosie said: "It’s brilliant that Martin is giving up his time and training miles to support Vetlife. People who call Vetlife Helpline can often feel very alone; knowing the profession is behind us and wants to help can make a real difference. I’m hoping Martin waves as he overtakes me on the day! And that more vets and VNs will help us fundraise for Vetlife in the future."
Anyone willing to sponsor Martin can do so at: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/ObedMartinHosegood
Leading industry experts including Faye Murch from Kingsgate Nutrition, Eric Nadeau, Elanco Global Pig Vaccine Advisor, veterinary consultant Daniel Parker and Francesc Molist from Schothorst Feed Research will share their learnings on alternative approaches to managing PWD, including vaccination.
Jack Fellows from Elanco Animal Health says that with 90% of producers using their vet as their first port of call when it comes to PWD1, it is vital they start to encourage producers to consider an alternative prescription to zinc.
He said: “Producers must start to prepare now to avoid being forced to turn to antibiotics when zinc is no longer an option.
"Vaccination will become an increasingly important component of PWD prevention. Amongst other topics on mastering piglet gut health, the seminar aims to support knowledge on the application of in-water vaccines to ensure appropriate and effective use.”
Jack says that while vaccination may appear costly in comparison to zinc oxide, it offers a good return on investment: "Piglets can be vaccinated from 18 days of life, so they are protected from the pathogen at weaning, and we are seeing a growing number of UK herds using vaccines as part of their PWD prevention strategy.
"Farms using the Coliprotec vaccine are no longer using in-water medication to control scours. They’re also noticing that piglets are eating more, and that they’re achieving an extra 2kg of slaughter weight2 while reaching market weights seven days sooner3.”
To register for the event, visit: https://www.myelanco.co.uk/pub/swine-seminar-registration
References
Aimed at all members of the veterinary team across Europe, the webinar is moderated by veterinary nutrition expert Dottie Laflamme.
The webinar, which will also be available on demand after the event, follows others in the series that allow conversations about nutrition to be integrated into everyday consultations.
Speakers Shoshanah Verton Shaw, RVT, VTS (nutrition), and Marge Chandler (a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, the European College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and the American College of Veterinary Nutrition) will be sharing their tips for handling nutrition discussions in a non-confrontational way that preserves the client bond with the vet and the practice.
Registration for this and another three free webinars is available at https://bit.ly/purinawebinars2022.
Topics include applying the principles of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS), making confident diagnostic and prescribing decisions, and managing client expectations around antibiotic use within practice.
In the first episode, Tim explores how to apply the principles of AMS in the consulting room, starting with recognising when antibiotics are genuinely needed.
He explores the role of clinical signs and cytology in guiding diagnosis and treatment decisions, while also emphasising the risks of unnecessary prescribing.
The discussion also covers when empirical antibiotic use may be appropriate and how to ensure these decisions are justified.
Each episode offers practical, evidence-based insights which Krka says can be easily implemented in general practice.
The series is accompanied by downloadable Vet2Vet Insights information sheets that summarise the main take-home messages from each episode.
https://open.spotify.com/show/0uphORU03q29WncwmN2EIa
The information sheets are available here: https://www.krka.co.uk/veterinary-knowledge-hub/articles/responsible-use-of-companion-animal-antibiotics
The RCVS has appointed Amanda Boag as its new Treasurer, replacing Dr Bradley Viner who will become (junior) Vice-President in July.
Amanda will officially take up her post at RCVS Day - the College's Annual General Meeting and Awards Day - on Friday 11 July.
Amanda is a Clinical Director at Vets Now and is also currently President of the European Society of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. She was elected to RCVS Council for a four-year term in 2012.
As Treasurer she will be responsible for maintaining an overview of the College's affairs, ensuring its financial viability and making sure that proper financial records and procedures are maintained.
Amanda said: "I am very honoured to have been appointed Treasurer for the RCVS and am looking forward to working closely with other Council members and the Belgravia House team.
"I would particularly like to thank my predecessor Bradley Viner for the excellent work he has done over the past four years. This has been a period of great change for the College and during his tenure he has done a huge amount of work to support the improvements in governance, including standardising the way that the College's accounts are reported.
"Our finances are currently in a healthy state despite no increase in the annual renewal fee for several years. I am now looking forward to building on his legacy and ensuring the finances remain healthy, allowing us to move forward with our Strategic Plan."
At RCVS Day on 11 July, Professor Stuart Reid will also be confirmed as President; current President Neil Smith as (senior) Vice-President; Chris Tufnell as Chairman of the Education Committee; and David Catlow as Chairman of the Standards Committee.
The company is now asking farm vets to point their clients in the direction of the FarmComm study and encourage them to take part, share their thoughts and help shape the way we all work together in the future.
Mat Yarnall, senior brand manager at Boehringer said: "With routine visits, practice meetings, herd or flock health planning sessions and farming shows and exhibitions all on-hold, how vets work with their clients is subject to change on a scale never seen before.
“The study is striving to understand what methods of working going forward may work, what won’t work and how people want to work.”
The FarmComm study will be being sent out directly to farmers or can be accessed at https://bit.ly/farm-comm.
Matt added: "Following analysis and interpretation, these findings will be shared with vets as we all move together into new and different times."
The judges praised the practice group for leveraging employee ownership (EO) to drive growth and staff satisfaction, protect independence, and champion EO in the veterinary sector.
Pennard Vets, which has eight practices in Kent, says its driving ambition when it took the decision to transfer the business into an employee ownership trust and make its 150-strong team business owners, was to protect its independence and core values.
Pennard Vets has also been eager to spread the word about employee ownership to other veterinary practices.
Matthew Flann, a director from Pennard Vets, said: “Winning this award is a huge coup for our entire industry, who have been searching for ways to secure the future of their independent practices.
"Set against a backdrop of increasing corporatisation of UK veterinary practices, we chose to protect our heritage by becoming an EOT.
“It hasn't been easy, but it has been massively rewarding and our team have passionately bought into their new status as owners, and the results can be seen throughout the practice – from team-led initiatives to the impact on the range of procedures we can now offer to our patients.
"It’s genuinely been transformational and since 2021 we’ve doubled turnover and grown our team by 30%.
"We’ve also welcomed Abbotsley Veterinary Group and Priory Lodge into the group with the two local Kent practices citing our EOT status as a motivating factor for their moves.
“Crucially our EOT structure provided the launchpad to becoming the first veterinary practice in Europe to achieve B-Corp status in 2022, which we see as another step towards becoming the very best practice possible, using input and ideas from our team to provide a better service, give back to our community and protect the environment.
“We’re also determined to make the journey less arduous for other veterinary practices to follow our lead and we regularly hear from practice owners who are exploring becoming EO.
"We’ve established the British Veterinary Employee Owned Association to help guide other practices through the journey of becoming an EOT by networking, attending events and presenting webinars.
"This year we have supported thriving practices to become EO in all parts of the UK, including Arrowfield Vets in Herefordshire, Animal Tails Veterinary Practice in Stirling, Shetland Vets and Cornerstone Veterinary Clinic in Belfast.
“We believe intrinsically in the value of supporting and promoting our team as the best way to grow our business and provide the best possible service to our clients and patients, and that same approach will pay dividends for other veterinary practices. Because of this we fully intend to continue to campaign for the benefits of EO.”
James de le Vingne, CEO of the EOA, said: “Congratulation to Pennard Vets on winning this award.
"The awards recognise businesses and individuals that are delivering great employee ownership. Collectively, great employee owned businesses deliver significant uplift in productivity and performance, outperforming their non-EO counterparts across multiple impacts for employees, society, the environment and the economy.”
The Hertfordshire-based referral centre Davies Veterinary Specialists, has announced it is to support Mission Rabies, a charity which aims to reduce the number of children in India that die as a result of contracting rabies from dogs.
According to the charity, it is estimated that at least one child dies from rabies every hour in India, normally contracted from dog bites. Mission Rabies aims to establish the country's first National Rabies Network to supply cheap, effective vaccines nationwide and monitor disease prevalence. The campaign will also include surgical training programmes in rabies danger zones, to train local vets in the best field techniques for dog population and vaccination control. The charity says it intends to vaccinate two million dogs in the key hotspot areas of India over the next three years.
Davies Veterinary Specialists is donating 50,000 rabies vaccines, to be used during the first month of the campaign, which launches this September.
VetSurgeon.org member Ian Battersby, one of Davies Veterinary Specialists' Internal Medicine team, is one of the organisers of the project, which is also supported by Dogs Trust, the World Small Animal Veterinary Association, the British Small Animal Veterinary Association and the Worldwide Veterinary Service. Ian will be travelling to India in September whilst other staff from DVS are planning various fund raising events, including marathons, evening talks to dog owners, a fund raising choir concert and an online auction to members of the veterinary profession. The auction will go live in June and lots will include in-house training seminars from members of the DVS clinical staff and gifts donated by local organisations.
DVS Managing director Clive Elwood said: "This is a very important project delivering veterinary care and expertise that will have a real impact on human lives. We are delighted to be able to help such a worthwhile cause."
Merial has joined forces with the Global Alliance for Rabies Control (GARC) promote its "Me and My Dog - Together Against Rabies" social media campaign, designed to raise awareness of the importance of vaccinating dogs against rabies.
As part of the campaign, pet owners are asked to share photos of themselves with their dog on social media channels, using the hash tags #TogetherAgainstRabies and #MerialMeAndMyDog.
Merial says the increased numbers of pets travelling since the changes to the Pet Travel Scheme rules in 2012 means that awareness of rabies amongst pet owners is important, despite the fact that the disease is not endemic in the UK.
Joanne Maki, Director Veterinary Public Health for Wildlife and Companion Animals for Merial said: "The "Me and My Dog - Together against Rabies" campaign is a unique opportunity for all of us to play a part in spreading the word about eliminating human rabies through the vaccination of animals. The more of us who participate, the stronger we are in this important fight".
There are four categories of award:
Veterinary practices who feel they have excellence to showcase are invited to submit their nominations via: https://spvs.org.uk/business-excellence-awards, highlighting why they deserve to receive the award against each of the selection criteria.
The deadline for nominations is 5pm on 31st October 2023.
The SPVS Board then will review submissions and shortlist the top 5 nominations in each category.
Shortlisted practices will be contacted by 5pm on the 15th November 2023, and invited to submit a more detailed statement of 750 words or a 90-second video, giving them another opportunity to showcase their accomplishments.
A panel of SPVS members will evaluate the final submissions and vote for a winner in each category.
Category winners will be announced before the end of the year, and will win full day + evening tickets to SPVS Congress 2024 on Thursday 25th January 2024 for three team members, plus overnight accommodation at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole.
The overall winner will be announced at the SPVS Congress 2024 opening ceremony (25th – 27th January 2024).
Vetoquinol has announced the winners of the 2008 Marbocyl Achievement Awards. Six veterinary schools took part in the award scheme, which enabled them to recognise the achievements of either staff or students, with a prize fund of £2000 for each university.
Five of the vet schools have announced their 2008 winners, the University of Liverpool will announce its winners in January 2009. Those who have already received their awards this year are:
University of Bristol Dr Catherine Fuller, MRCVSMs Kathryn Murphy, MRCVSMichael Steele, MRCVSChristopher Hudson, MRCVSSamantha Taylor, MRCVS
All of the winners are members of staff nominated by their students for excellence in teaching.
University College DublinDr Carmel Mooney, MVB MPhil PhD DECVIM-CA MRCVS, for an outstanding performance as Clinical Director of the Veterinary Hospital at UCD.
University of CambridgeAdrian Wallace, BVSc (Hons), MACVSc (SAS), MRCVS for his clinical research paper , ‘A biomechanical comparison of six double-loop configurations for use in the lateral fabella suture technique for the cranial cruciate ligament deficient canine stifle', Journal of Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology, 2008. Catherine Stalin, MA, VetMB, MRCVS for her paper ‘Radiographic morphology of the cranial portion of the cervical vertebral column in Cavalier King Charles Spaniels and its relationship to syringomyelia', American Journal of Veterinary Research, 2008 Penny Watson, MA, VetMB, CertVR, DSAM, Dip ECVIM, MRCVS, European Specialist in Small Animal Medicine for her clinical research paper ‘Prevalence and breed distribution of chronic pancreatitis at post-mortem examination in first opinion dogs' Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2007.
University of GlasgowMark Lowrie, MA VetMB MRCVS, for his Clinical Research Abstract - "Acute phase proteins and immunoglobulin A in steroid responsive meningitis-arteritis"
Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies EdinburghLesa Longley, MA BVM&S Cert ZooMed MRCVS for an exceptionally high level of achievement during her residency programme.
Mark Leddy, Vetoquinol's Marketing Department Manager said: "We are delighted to have been able to help these universities recognise and reward the achievements of staff and students over the past three years."